Christian Pichardo, 30, of Hamden, also known by the aliases “Swerve,” “Craig,” and “Bobby Shmurda,” pleaded guilty to a federal narcotics conspiracy charge on April 4, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut.
The guilty plea was entered before U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport federal court. This marks a significant development in a case that has been under investigation by the FBI Bridgeport Safe Streets Task Force and the Bridgeport Police Department.
Court documents reveal that Pichardo played a central role in a drug operation supplying narcotics across southwestern Connecticut. He admitted to conspiring to distribute and to possess with the intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, along with quantities of heroin, cocaine, crack cocaine, and other opioid-based substances.
The investigation involved a range of law enforcement tactics, including wiretaps and controlled drug buys. Court-authorized wiretaps allowed authorities to intercept communications between Pichardo, his associates, and drug customers, providing crucial evidence for the case.
On July 17, 2024, a federal grand jury in Bridgeport returned a superseding indictment, charging Pichardo and seven co-defendants with multiple narcotics trafficking offenses.
The narcotics conspiracy charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years, with the possibility of a maximum sentence of 40 years in federal prison. Pichardo’s sentencing is scheduled for June 26, 2025.
Pichardo has been in federal custody since his arrest on August 5, 2024.
